Posted on 03/01/2007 4:22:47 PM PST by meg88
Presidential rivals grasp at straw-poll glory By AARON GOULD SHEININ asheinin@thestate.com
FILE PHOTOGRAPH/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani More photos Anonymous critics aim at Romney Spartanburg — Agnes Spong thinks she’s landed in political heaven. The lifelong Republican from Upstate New York retired to Spartanburg two years ago and quickly discovered she was among friends.
“I think it was just about the greatest thing in the world,” Spong said Monday at Wade’s Restaurant prior to a campaign appearance by U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.
Spong is not alone in thinking this Upstate bastion of Republicanism is the greatest thing since Barry Goldwater.
Brownback and about a half-dozen other GOP presidential hopefuls are spending thousands of dollars and making countless campaign phone calls and personal visits to the county in advance of tonight’s straw poll vote.
The Spartanburg County Republican Party’s 93 precincts will meet to elect officers and county executive committee members. Then, participants will “vote” for their choice for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination.
It’s a long way from primary day — but you wouldn’t know it.
“It’s been awful,” said Jimmy Moore, organizer at Westview A, one of the largest Republican precincts in the state.
“I have literally every single day gotten 10 calls from these people (candidates). It just gets annoying. If this is what’s happening a year out from the primary, what the heck is going to happen later?”
County party Chairman Rick Beltram said candidates are pouring money and energy into Spartanburg:
nþBrownback and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani have sent thousands of direct-mail pieces to Republican voters.
nþFormer Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is running TV ads and has done direct mail.
nþThose three, along with U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., have visited the county in recent weeks.
CNN reported on the straw poll Wednesday. Beltram said Fox News’ “Hannity & Colmes” will broadcast straw-poll results live from county party headquarters tonight.
As Beltram explained the attention, his other phone line rang; it was The New York Times.
“The whole week, it’s been constant like this,” he said.
Why?
The answer depends on the campaign. For McCain, the S.C. front-runner, a good showing confirms his status. For Brownback, who’s on a different tier than McCain and Giuliani, it’s an opportunity to break through.
Moore agrees but says there is another reason: money. The winner gets to tell donors, “See, those Spartanburg County Republicans down in South Carolina love me, and that’s why you should give me money,” he said.
It also illustrates a candidate’s ability to win in a key county in a key state. George W. Bush won 58 percent of the vote in Spartanburg County in 2000. McCain had 36 percent. Bush won the state overall with 53 percent.
The GOP grip on the county is fierce. Gov. Mark Sanford took 61 percent of the county’s vote last year, up from 59 percent in 2002.
Even when Democrats win statewide, they typically lose Spartanburg. Democrat Jim Hodges defeated Republican incumbent Gov. David Beasley in 1998 but lost Spartanburg 48-52 percent. However, keeping the race close in Spartanburg also may be a key to Democratic success.
Jim Rex came as close as any Democrat, but still lost when he defeated Republican Karen Floyd for state education superintendent last year. Rex lost the county, where Floyd lives, by only about 200 votes.
The Spartanburg County Republican Party has been holding straw polls since 2001, Beltram said. The first one in late 2001 was for the 2002 gubernatorial primary. Then-Lt. Gov. Bob Peeler won — but not by much.
“Even though he won, people went back and said, ‘Wow, he’s vulnerable,’” Beltram said. Sure enough, Peeler was the top vote-getter in the primary but lost the runoff to Sanford.
In late 2003, the straw poll for the U.S. Senate primary gave Greenville’s Jim DeMint a boost. DeMint won the straw poll, finished second in the primary then swamped Beasley in the runoff.
All the attention is exhausting but encouraging, Beltram said.
“When I was elected chairman in 1999, I told delegates my No. 1 goal was to make the relevance of (the) Spartanburg County party as high as I can take it. That’s what we’ve done.”
Reach Gould Sheinin at (803) 771-8658.
WHY SPARTANBURG?
Tonight’s straw poll: The event has grabbed national media attention.
I bet your accomplices in the New York Times and at CNN will agree with you!
"Look, you can try to spin this anyway you want - it's a free country. Fact - everyone said that Rudy wouldn't make it in SC. He won! You Rudy haters were wrong. You now have less credibility. And, frankly, you didn't have much to being with."
YOU are the one spinning it into more than it is. A real winner wouldn't have to do that.
"The word here was that Rudy would NEVER make it in SC. He WON! That's the facts."
It's a straw poll. In one county. Get over it.
McCain has the lead in the early worthless polls in South Carolina.
My view is that it is wiser to be for someone than against someone. I do hope that the Hunter folks can grasp that little bit of wisdom at some point.
Spartanburg County, South Carolina
About 6% of the state population... approx 270,000 people.
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/45/45083.html
Everyone said?
Everyone said he wouldn't make it in Spartansburg County?
And I don't hate Rudy. I just don't want him to be my President
Trying to play innocent once again. Your usual trick.
Considering Rudy's positions, I'm still surprised conservatives are supporting him.
Seriously, what happened?
And you want to talk about attitude? We have a word for that here(s).
Rudy winning in SC is big news!
"The word here was that Rudy would NEVER make it in SC. He WON! That's the facts."
I agree. However, the only reason a lot of people support Mayor Giuliani is because they think only he can beat Hillary. That's voting against someone.
I can do both.
And, by the way, aren't you also?
Seriously, why support a liberal when we're not even past the primaries yet.
Thanks. We are a bit larger here, in the 300,000s. I wish WE could get national attention for one of our meetings. We had over twice as many people show up just to pick the republican nominee for a special election position last year.
I'm surprised they had so few people in a county so large. for something that was supposedly such a big deal.
Of course, all the interest now is at CPAC.
"According to the straw poll, Hunter came in second only behind Rudy...and it was only by 18 votes!"
Yahoooooooooo!!
So Hunters showing is no big deal either - like Rudy's? Be careful - you may end up saying something you'll regret(s).
WOW, that is absolutely wonderful for Hunter!!!!! To be that close behind the mayor? I am pleasntly surprised!
At least you say IN SC instead of "winning SC". It was one county. A county that is not overwhelmingly comprised of (despite your claim) "diehard conservatives" at the structural level, which is what this is about. I don't need to spin this. It was good for Hunter to get that close to the favorite.
I am most certainly not saying that this proves Hunter will get the nomination. Not by a long shot. But it doesn't prove Giuliani's the guy either. There's a lot more of these straw polls to go.
Isn't enough to say that this is good news (yet not to much to go on) for both teams?
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